Thomas Vinterberg, the Man Behind ‘The Hunt’

In 1995, Danish film directors Thomas Vinterberg and Lars von Trier sought to electrify conventional filmmaking when they unveiled Dogme 95, a movement that disdained special effects and technology and prized handheld cameras and “natural” sound.

By 1998, Vinterberg had received the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for “Festen,” an exploration of childhood sexual assault and family dynamics that embodied and validated that approach to cinema.

Fast forward to 2013. There are few traces of Dogme to be found in Vinterberg’s latest film “The Hunt.” Mads Mikkelsen, who also stars as Hannibal Lecter in the television show “Hannibal,” plays Lucas, a teacher who has been falsely accused of molesting a small child, Klara (Annika Wedderkopp).

Speakeasy caught up with Vinterberg to talk about the film, the differences between directing now and directing then and whether anything can – and should — take Dogme’s place.

The building up of tension in “The Hunt” was similar to “Festen,” but obviously there are major aesthetic and philosophical differences between the films.

“The Hunt” did start as the antithesis of “Festen,” as it [worked to] prove the other side of these things. It did grow into its own film and it had its own writing process.

Whereas “Festen” was an explosive three-month ride, this was a dragged-out year of refinements. We considered making this a Dogme film but I found that whereas Dogme was intended to be naked and pure and undressing the movie back then, it would be a little like wearing an old dress today. It would be old-fashioned.

We had to reinvent a way of finding a more discreet presence with the camera so that what unfolded in front of it becomes important. We had a philosophy — both in filming and writing the script — that every scene should happen as if we were stopped in traffic and couldn’t make it there. This was a life going on and we were lucky enough to be there for the moments. Sometimes too early, sometimes too late and sometimes not at all. We show snippets of life such as in a documentary.

How did the scenery contribute? Everything was bathed in this late autumn, twilight glow that seemed both comforting and ominous.

We were inspired by Hans Christian Andersen. In the sense of, here’s a completely innocent and warm society with a lot of togetherness and harmony and something from outside comes in and spreads evil, such as in “The Snow Queen.” This virus spreads among them and everything turns dark. That was the recipe we combined. There was the psychoanalyst who gave me the idea for this: Consider the thought a virus.

We’ve lived under this comfortable conception that children don’t lie, and I just find that it’s a very dangerous thing to keep saying. The kids are the ones who end up as victims ironically. If you look at Klara’s life, or similar stories in real life, she’s going up among people who create perfect illusions that she’s the victim. She’s going to gynecologists, she’s seeing her father have fights, she’s suffering from added memory. These little boys or little girls grow up to believe that something happened. They can remember something that happened. This is another kind of violation of children.

Tell me about the legacy of Dogme. What has come after it, and is there a burden on you to come up with a successor movement?

Dogme was meant to be a revolt against conventional filmmaking in the 90s. There was a risk to it. It was an arrogant and playful attempt to avoid conventional filmmaking. Then Dogme exploded in success in ‘98 and very quickly became fashion itself. Therefore I guess what happened at Cannes was the beginning and the beginning of the end. It was sexy and financially investible and the element of risk disappeared a little. I found that having done “Festen,” I had completed something. I had gone down a road where I couldn’t do more. I had to reinvent myself and completely start over. I’ve not really been looking for movements. I’ve been busy trying to find myself. Which is slowly happening.

We had the humble Danish ambition of making a wave. And we did. Now it’s become an old dress. In that sense I think it’s over. But it does place a mirror in front of conventional filmmaking as such. Do we need the music? Do we need all the things you automatically do? It also creates possibility for young filmmakers. It did have a rather big impact but it’s natural. That’s natural for waves.

I’m looking back with a great deal of pride and longing and you can’t just re-do it. It just doesn’t happen like that.

What’s the current global perception of Scandinavian film? Do you get offended when people lump in Danish and Swedish and Norwegian film in together?

Up until 2004, 2005, there was no one interested in Danish movies. It vanished. It came out of fashion again. Danish cinema was trying to redefine itself after this whole Dogme thing. Now there’s a new shape of Scandinavian film. A lot of individuals are having great careers. TV series do really well abroad; they’re more individual efforts, more careerist, less artistically-challenging. I’ll say Danish cinema is quite successful but quite middle of the road.

So what’s your role? To shake things up again?

There’s a time in your life to be a soldier. A time in your life to be an adviser. I don’t know where I am in all of this. I’m looking inwards more into humanity instead of form.

It’s a big, big choice, it’s a very big decision, so that’s why I’m a little hesitant, because I still want to challenge the medium. But at the moment my curiosity is of a human kind, less of a formalistic kind. Lars [von Trier] and I come from two opposite angles. That’s what starts him up – to sit looking at actors like chess pieces, move things around, reverse everything and create film languages. He’s trying to work his way into his characters into real life.

I’m starting at the opposite end. I’m starting with the human soul and trying to work my way out to find the shape of the movie. The biggest thing for me is if I can create a character that stays with us. I find that more important at the moment than challenging the medium.

What are you working on next?

I’m working on a lot of things. I’ve been doing a lot of theater in Vienna. They offered me a great deal. I write and direct down there. At the moment I’m working on a film with Fox Searchlight. Hopefully it will shoot in mid-September. Next summer I’m hoping to shoot again with Tobias Lindholm. We’ve been writing a script about a commune. I did that as a play, we’d be making a film version. I’m writing a play about the celebration of alcohol. It’s looking like how life can be grander from drinking. I find it interesting how alcohol can enlarge a conversation. Unfortunately in my life I don’t find time to drink enough.

Is truth amplified or calcified when you drink, do you think?

I think both. You find your own reality in the realm of drinking. Then it’s gone the next day. Just look at the youth. They use it to find courage to seduce each other. It breaks the barriers of shyness. It can be used in many ways. As an artist, it makes you not look back, if you do the right amount of it. If you get too pissed it gets complicated. [Drinking] gives you courage and a certain greatness.